Hot manure pile

I have just offloaded a pile of manure which is still quite hot. I do know that it will have to sit for several months before it can be used. I am wondering whether I should cover it with a tarp. I think that this might contain the inevitable smell and also keep some of the nutrients from leaching out.

Does this seem a sensible idea and would it slow the cool down process?

Composting requires oxygen, or else it will go foul.
If your area is getting a lot of rain, then I would loosely tarp it, to keep it from getting soaking wet, but allow as much air circulation as possible.
Otherwise, keeping it open is better.

You can make the composting process go faster by turning the pile as often as possible. Keep it open, better oxygen levels.

The nutrients will leach down, dissolved and carried by water. Less water will help. It should be just a bit damp, no where near wet.

I use Manure by the ton if I can get hold of it FREE. The measures Diana have given for speed of composting, protection of the heap AND the danger of too much water getting into the heap are all the exact methods I use on my composting heap.
you need the heap to stay warm as this helps break down the straw or other solids, I don't know how much manure you have but how I work mine is make a square fenced area, the sides should be open slats to allow air into the heap, and I have an old carpet laid on the top held in place with a few bricks, next door is a second fence like square, same size, after a month or so I remove the carpet, using garden fork, lift the manure from the top of pile and drop it into the new compost square, this helps turn the heap helps get more air flow and it brings the bottom of the original pile up to the top of the new pile, cover again WITH BLACK PLASTIC, and weigh it down, you may have to turn the heap over again for another time, you will know the manure is ready for use when you drag some from the middle of the heap and it is odour free, it should represent the look and feel of a good quality compost when you hold it and rub it through your fingers, wet or smelly compost of any type is a sure sign the heap is NOT working, IF your composting a huge amount, it may take a year to compost down properly. It's the best you can use in a garden for beds / borders and veg beds. we call it gardeners gold.

By the way, if you place a couple of spadesful of the raw manure place in an old pillow case and tie it to the lid of an old barrel or other large contaioner, after a couple of months, you will have the best type of plant feed you could want, you need to put it into the water can, dilute till it looks like weak teat (baby tea) water it onto the garden plants and watch them grow.
Don't use this on seedlings as it may be tooooo strong for little seedlings that have not enough roots.
Good luck. Enjoy your Manure heap and if you can, make a new one before the old is used up.
Best Regards. WeeNel.

Thanks for the information. I have just covered the pile and will be turning it often. It's not that big as I only have a small truck to move it in. For some reason turning it never occurred to me. I do have compost piles and turn them but never made the connection.

I will make some of the manure tea. So glad to know about it as I can go ahead and get some good from the manure early on while the rest of the pile does it's thing.

Thanks again.

Great your going to get every drop of goodness from your manure pile, it's a great feed for the plants if you can make the brew with a bag of manure dropped into a barrel or other large container, make sure the bag holding the manure is tied to the lid, is sunk UNDER the water and when your ready to use it on your plants, it HAS to be diluted very well, it should resemble very weak tea, just coloured in no more, it's quite strong stuff when neat and un-diluted and it could burn the plants IF too strong, so make sure you water the soil and not drown the foliage.

By the way Wittyone, you can do the exact same by using nettles, here we call those horrid plants that sting you as you brush past them, they are great for making this type of feed / Tea. just pick the nettles when fresh before they flower heads form, you don't want to spread seeds of those plants, well not unless you have another use for them. some forlks use them as hair shampoo's, others make nettle soup which I believe is wonderful however, make your Manure heap the starting place, well done I hope others get the same bug as you because there is no better soil conditioner, feed, even used as mulch around your plants is good as it will eventually be taken down into the soil by the weather, worms or forked into the top will boost your veg flowering plants or shrubs.
take good care and kind regards.
WeeNel.